Bruno Mars’ fourth solo album, “The Romantic,” was released on Feb. 27. This album marks the Grammy-winner’s first release after the hit song with Lady Gaga, “Die with a Smile,” won the 2025 Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group performance.
The 31-minute album contains nine songs integrating different genres and influences of Latin, rock, and soul. Each song offers a balance of softer, mellow moments and more catchy, upbeat tunes.
The opening song, “Risk It All,” commences the album with a slow ballad that is lyrically similar to Mars’ 2010 hit song “Grenade” from his first solo album, “Doo-Wops and Hooligans.” This song includes nice, Latin-inspired guitar rhythms, percussion, and strings that enhance its elegant tone. Mars sings that he will “risk it all” for the person he loves, which sets the tone for the romance-focused themes of the album.
The song “Cha Cha Cha” is a Latin-influenced song that features nice vocal harmonies, horns, and strings. The lyrics during the chorus make the song feel groovy. The bridge features elevating strings and horns, which provide the song with nice textures.
“I Just Might,” previously released on Jan. 9, is the lead single and by far the catchiest and most upbeat song on the album. The rhythm guitar gets the listener hooked to the song, and the steady beat can make people dance or at least tap their foot. The guitar licks and harmonies make “I Just Might” stand out in the album as a new, intriguing pop song.
The next song, “God Was Showing Me Off,” has a nice vocal performance by Mars and includes an interesting bridge where the instrumentation slows and Mars talks in a lower tone before building back to the chorus. The lyrics are a bit repetitive, but there’s a lot of passion behind the vocal performance.
“Why You Wanna Fight” begins with a ‘70s-inspired guitar rhythm and is a mellower song. Although the song is slower-paced and the lyrics are rather simple and repetitive, Mars’ vocals capture the tone of desperation and vulnerability. The harmonies and slow pace make the song more soul-inspired.
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The next song, “On My Soul,” begins with faster guitar rhythms and a catchy drum beat. Mars sings about his commitment to love, and the vocal performance and harmonies shine through during the song.
“Something Serious” is a mediocre song on the album. While it’s a ‘70s style and the drumming makes the song catchy, the lyrics aren’t particularly intriguing and rather simple during the chorus. This song falls short compared to the others on the album.
“Nothing Left” is another stand-out song in the album that reminisces back to Mars’ older ballads like “Talking To The Moon.” The slower guitar rhythm and softer vocals at the beginning elevate the tone of loneliness and isolation. The lyrics during the chorus are enhanced by the harmonies to make the listener feel Mars’ desperation to find love again. The bridge includes an energetic electric guitar solo as the drums accelerate, and Mars’s vocal performance grows stronger during the final chorus.
The final song, “Dance With Me,” is a slower ballad that is a pleasant closure to the album. The song has slower guitar playing and delightful vocals as Mars sings about slow dancing and falling in love with someone. The soul-inspired “Dance With Me” ends the album on an elegant high note.
Overall, “The Romantic” offers a nice balance of slower ballads and upbeat songs that infuse rock and Latin-inspired genres to appeal to a wider audience. While a few particular songs lack lyrical depth and repeat the same romance-related theme, the strong vocals by Mars and beautiful instrumentation elevate the emotion of many of the songs.